If planning to side-car, what to look for in a crib?

[gemasita]

I had never considered using a crib but now I think I like the idea of side-carring one to the bed rather than using a co-sleeper. But since I know nothing about cribs, I don't know what features to look for. I'm assuming that a convertible crib is a good idea because I won't have to wonder if it's going to be sturdy with one side taken off, since they are meant to be used that way. One thing I don't know about cribs is how many height adjustments are the norm. We have a high bed so I'm assuming we might have some issues getting the crib mattress completely aligned with the bed mattress. When looking at the Arm's Reach co-sleeper, I think I figured out that we would need two sets of leg extenders to get it high enough. Are there some cribs that have more than a few height adjustments? Will a convertible crib have a gap on the far side if I bungee the mattress right up against our bed so there is no gap there? Are there other issues I haven't thought of?

[apple o' my eye]

We love our side car set up. When DD was smaller she was in the king sized bed next to me and a basket of extra nighttime stuff lived in the crib. As she got more wiggly I scooted her into her own space in the side car crib set up. I put a body pillow to keep her in her bed better and to protect her from the transition between the beds. I feel like she is safe and contained and I don't have to worry about her falling out of bed. But she is right there which I couldn't live without.

So we got a used drop rail crib, I think these are obsolete now because of the recall and safety issues, but we never planed to use it like a crib. We set it up like a toddler bed with the wood piece that holds the 4th side together and makes it stable. There are lots of adjustments up and down, so you just have to assemble it and put the mattress in and then start playing with the height. My friend likes the crib a bit lower than her bed so he DS stays put better without rolling into her bed. I like mine flat, it's all personal preference.
We used wood blocks under the legs, but didn't feel they were stable enough. We also used firm foam we had or folded up blankets under the crib mattress. Between the mattress and the crib platform to get the right height. Commercial bed lifters were too high.
Right now what is working is we took the frame out from under our bed so it is the mattress and box spring on the floor. It turned out to be the perfect height to be even with DD's crib. The extra bonus is now she can climb off and on the end of our bed and manage it safely by herself.
Hope this helps! Good Luck and congratulations!!